114 HINTS ON PURCHASING. 



moderate performer, indifferently bred, would be worth sound, 

 the difference in value between the two varying in instances 

 from ^ lOO to ^ i,ooo. 



If a private trial be given, the result should mainly deter- 

 mine the animal's worth. Yet there are other things besides 

 those already mentioned that should not be omitted from the 

 calculation — the animal's engagements, and the probability of 

 his winning the whole or a fair portion of them ; and the state 

 of his legs in reference to their capability to stand many pre- 

 parations. A horse that has shown form at two years old, and 

 lost it at three without apparent cause, may be of very much 

 more value than one that can win small races at the later age. 

 For in the latter case no improvement could be looked for ; 

 but in the former a return to the two-year-old form may be 

 expected, and your hopes realised in a valuable purchase. 

 Mares, it should be remembered, often run better at the back 

 end than in the spring of the year. We have had many ex- 

 traordinary instances of this, particularly with the three-year- 

 olds, at York and Doncaster in August and September. The 

 best months in which to buy three-year-olds that have lost 

 their form are June, July, and August, with the hope of their 

 returning to it in the autumn. For general purposes I should 

 always prefer a small horse to a large one^one that stood 

 well on his legs, having moderately-sized feet, in preference to 

 large ones. But no one is judge enough to decide whether 

 this or the other horse's legs will stand one preparation, and 

 much less, many. Yet this fact should not deter the exercise 

 of our judgment in the selection of those which seem most 

 likely to do so. 



On this point I will give a few illustrations to show that legs 

 which have appeared the best have gone first, whilst those 

 which have looked the worst have stood longest. The case 



